MARIGOT–An inventory is currently being carried out by the Collectivité and Port Authority in Simpson Bay Lagoon and in waters frequented by the population and tourists, to identify debris, sunken boat wrecks or boat wrecks buried in sand.
A team of certified divers is currently identifying debris or wrecks sunk or buried in the sand, identifying them with numbered buoys and evaluating possible solutions for their salvage.
Following the passage of Hurricane Irma, the damage on land and at sea was significant. At sea, numerous shipwrecks and debris (wood, zinc metal sheets, etc.) rendered areas potentially hazardous to navigation and nautical activities. This prompted several remedial actions to be carried out in the maritime domain.
An initial inventory was carried out with the Territorial Unit of St. Martin and Saint Barthélemy, the result of which led to Direction de la Mer on February 7, 2018, authorising the lifting of the ban on nautical activities (swimming) in certain bodies of water.
To date, in addition to the Lagoon, bodies of water at the beaches of Galisbay, Petite Plage, Grand-Case, Orient Bay and soon Friar’s Bay, have been inspected. Apart from ship wrecks that will require more specific and complex treatment, most of the inspected water bodies have been cleaned due to the presence of little waste or will be cleaned more thoroughly, as in Grand-Case.
Concerning the beach of Grand-Case, in the area from the cemetery to the jetties, a more extensive cleaning will be carried out in the next few days, and until then swimmers are asked to be cautious. The Collectivité and the Port Authority are making safety a priority.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/74194-collectivite-port-evaluate-hazards-and-boat-wrecks-in-coastal-waters
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